Former official accused of stealing $800,000 from nonprofit San Diego County clinic

North County Health Services, is suing this man, Hector Ramos, for allegedly embezzling $800,000 from the organization.

North County Health Services provides health care, including dentistry, to low-income residents of California.

Mr. Ramos, who was residing in Murrieta, CA at the time, has also been charged with a number of criminal offenses. Bail was set at $1 million, with an additional stipulation that if posted, that proof of the legitimacy of the source of bail funds be provided.

Mr. Ramos allegedly created two fraudulent corporations that invoiced North County Health Services for purchases of computer hardware. Instead, it is alleged that funds were used to pay for trips, clothing, and a large payment to a Porsche dealership.

Mr. Ramos’s biographical information from a North county Health Services PowerPoint presentation indicates that he has been with the organization since 2014, has two graduate degrees, and speaks four languages.

Mr. Ramos has been arraigned and has pled not guilty to 49 charges.

According to Winn, North County Health Services hired Ramos — at an annual salary of $200,000 — to run its IT department in January 2015.

Winn said Ramos created two fraudulent corporations and submitted false invoices from those corporations to North County Health Services.

Ramos would create a sense of urgency, Winn said, by telling staffers in the purchasing department that the entire computer system might shut down if the invoices were not paid quickly.

Ramos’ assistant grew suspicious, investigated the two corporations and found that Ramos was on the board, Winn said. The assistant reported it to organization officials, she said.

Bank statements show that while the payments were made to Ramos’ companies, Winn said, the records do not show purchases of computer equipment or software that matches what North County Health Services had been billed.

Rather, she said, the bank statements show “lavish spending,” including international vacations and thousands of dollars in purchases from a wine website. Other spending was on cigars, clothing, and a $44,000 check written to a Porsche dealer, the prosecutor said.

Winn said that the loss of the money “was very demoralizing” to the organization’s employees and that they felt a sense of betrayal.

Superior Court Judge David Danielsen set Ramos’ bail at $1 million, and granted Winn’s request that, should Ramos make bail, he must prove that the source of the money was not illegally obtained.

Aside from the criminal case, the clinic’s insurance company filed a civil suit against Ramos in July to recover nearly $800,000. That case is pending.